Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a numerically controlled machine tool that executes a cutting machining and the like a workpiece.
Description of the Related Art
In a machine tool controlled by a numerical controller, “setup work”, such as installation of a tool on the machine tool, installation of a material that is a workpiece to be machined, and checking of precise installation of the tool and the material on the machine tool, is performed before the start of machining. In the “setup work”, a worker performs the work by moving a movable part driven by feed axes of the machine tool, in an arbitrary direction and at an arbitrary velocity. A “manual feed” function included in the numerical controller is used to move the movable part in the arbitrary direction at the arbitrary velocity. More specifically, the worker uses an operation panel or a handy operation panel for remote operation included in the numerical controller to select and designate the velocity and the movement direction to move the movable part at the arbitrary direction and velocity desired by the worker (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2013-125453, 2000-61776, and 8-257873).
The velocity and the movement direction need to be input from the operation panel or the handy operation panel to perform the “manual feed”. To do so, a feed axis (for example, X axis, Y axis, or Z axis) for moving the movable part needs to be selected, the direction (positive direction or negative direction) in which the selected axis is to be moved needs to be selected and designated, and the movement velocity of the selected axis needs to be set. Furthermore, the worker needs to recognize in advance the coordinate system provided in the machine tool.
The feed axis and the movement direction of the feed axis instructed in the operation panel or the handy operation panel need to coincide with the movement direction in which the worker intends to move the movable part. For example, the worker attempts to move the movable part from left to right and determines that the movement direction is the X-axis positive direction. The worker inputs the X axis for the feed axis of manual feed and inputs the positive direction for the direction of the feed axis. However, if the direction for moving the movable part from left to right is actually the X-axis negative direction, the movable part moves in a direction not intended by the worker.
The operation panel or the handy operation panel includes a large number of operation members, such as an operation switch and a keyboard, and the worker needs to operate an operation member for setting the feed axes as well as the feed direction and the velocity of the feed axes by selecting the operation member from the large number of operation members.
In this way, operating the operation panel or the handy operation panel to move the movable part in the direction intended by the worker is not easy, and a certain skill is necessary.